The northern cities of Hamburg and Hanover will join the pilot project in Bavaria. Of course, no one says this in public, but behind closed doors they do: in the future, it must be prevented that young asylum seekers in particular buy everything with their pocket money, not “essential personal need” items, as actually planned.
To this end, Bavaria is planning to introduce a “credit-based credit card”, as it is called in the Free State. Benefits: Money from refugees, who often have more cash available as pocket money than some local workers, can only be used where cards are accepted. So in regular stores and less so on the corner of the next street. The new payment system is currently being prepared, and the so-called “Entry Act” has already been amended accordingly.
Asylum seekers cannot withdraw more money from a new credit card. Another advantage: specialized services, such as gambling providers that previously benefited from the liquid money of young migrants, could be blocked on the card.
In Hannover, asylum seekers receive checks or commitment slips, ie no longer cash. But here too there were apparently bad experiences. The new payment card should eliminate this.
